Advisor to Governor, K Vijay Kumar inspected pace of work on theWular Lake Conservation Project, here on Tuesday.
The conservation project on the world famous Fresh waterLake is being implemented by Wular Conservation & Monitoring Authority(WUCMA).
Commissioner Secretary Forests Manoj Kumar Diwedi, PrincipalChief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Suresh Chugh and officials of WUCMA,besides district administration representatives were present.
During the visit, the Advisor was informed about the stepstaken for the preservation of the Lake with the modern machinery being used fordredging, which was earlier done manually.
Officials informed that the lake is spread over an area of130 sq kilometres and has been divided into several compartments for theexecution of the project. The dredging and de-slitting work has been taken upin most affected areas on priority, the Advisor was told.
It was given out that against Rs 60 crore made available forthe project under the 13th Finance Commission, Rs 45.94 crore have been spentso far.
The Advisor was informed about various issues faced by theexecuting agency in the course of the implementation, besides the progress ofthe project.
The Advisor gave directions to the officials with regard tothe bottlenecks that hinder the implementation of the project and directed theofficials to expedite the pace of work. He appreciated the WUCMA authoritiesfor the progress made in the conservation of this fresh water Lake.
The Advisor directed the officials to use the fundsjudicially, while stressing on internal and external monitoring for betterresults. “Do some research and use modern technology while implementing theproject for securing quick and tangible results,” he impressed upon the projectimplementing agency.
The Advisor also directed the district administration toestablish Waste Management Plants at all important sites to prevent dumpinginto the sources and main Lake. He also directed to treat the soil in catchmentareas to check soil erosion.
He also stressed upon the need for beautification ofembankments along the Wular Lake for Eco-tourism activities and directed WUCMAto re-double efforts and utilize expertise for the speedy Eco-restoration andconservation of the World famous Lake.
The Advisor later visited Forest Training School Chitternarand inspected the nursery of the forest department. He also planted a Chinarthere.